Rude tourists are treated as a blight on Japan. It’s hard to argue against that.
However, inbound travelers aren’t uniquely obnoxious. Another group is giving them a run for their money: rail enthusiasts (撮り鉄; toritetsu). Japan’s famed train picture-takers have been making headlines for the past couple of years for all the wrong reasons.
Risking their lives for the perfect shot
Japan has had an enthusiastic community of rail lovers for decades. The hobby, which dates back to the Meiji period, took off in the pre-war Shōwa era with the appearance of specialty magazines dedicated to highlighting the best pictures submitted by readers.
Since then, rail photography has become an increasingly popular pursuit, particularly among Japanese men. The advent of the Shinkansen (bullet train) and related services, such as the famous test train Doctor Yellow, has inspired new generations of hobbyists.
However, the drive to take increasingly astounding photos has led some fans to take things too far. For decades, both train operators and passengers have complained about picture-takers who trespass into private areas – even onto train tracks – to take pics.
This has led to some famous incidents that continue to live in infamy. In 2008, for example, a rail fan was struck and killed while trying to take pics of the Fuji and Hayabusa lines, which were both being retired that year. In 2010, a picture-taker trespassed into tracks to sneak pictures of JR West’s Asuka line, which resulted in several lines being delayed.
Trouble at the Jeering Convention
Over the years, rail magazines and other rail fans have called on one another to exhibit better manners and stop causing trouble for passengers. Sadly, these calls seem to have gone unheeded by some enthusiasts.
In August 2025, rail fans trespassed onto private property and even cut branches off of trees in a garden to get good pics of the Shinano Railway Company’s 115 Series train in Nagano Prefecture. Previously, Shinano had announced runs of the old train, released in 1997, on its home page to attract rail fans. However, it stopped after residents who lived near the tracks complained. That, in turn, led angry rail fans to denounce the company on social media.
Rail fans have also become infamous for so-called “jeering conventions” (罵声大会; basei taikai). Fans will often gather at a single spot that offers the best angle for picture-taking. This leads to shouting, insults, and even physical fights as each jockeys for positions. The resulting uproar is a nuisance to passengers and other, well-mannered trainspotters.
Even rail employees sometimes cross the line. In May 2025, an Odakyu Electric Railway employee trespassed onto the tracks, leading to a train stoppage. Authorities determined from his photo album that the man had spent years taking shots from locations he shouldn’t have. He resigned his position at Odakyu shortly after the incident.
Obnoxious rail fans can cause other kinds of trouble for ordinary passengers. One man told Diamond Online that a photographer who wasn’t paying attention backstepped into him, causing him to drop and crack his smartphone. Despite being at fault, the photographer yelled at him.
Smartphones, social media create increasing headlines
Ill-mannered rail enthusiasts have been around for a while. But the combination of smartphones and social media has led to an uptick in incidents.
Smartphones mean that anyone can become a rail fan – you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on expensive photo equipment. Meanwhile, social media has encouraged people to take riskier shots in the name of going viral.
Unfortunately, this is as intractable a problem as bad tourists. Statistically, a number of people in any large group are bound to behave badly.
Rail fans such as author Azuma Kanao are doing their best by exhorting their fellow enthusiasts to follow the rules. Short of that, she writes that the best policy for hobbyists is to “not get tangled up with these sorts of people” when you see them. At the same time, she urges the public at large to understand that, despite the headlines, the rail fan community is more than its worst members.
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Sources
“撮り鉄”を巡るトラブル続発、私有地侵入・路上駐車・ゴミのポイ捨て…鉄道会社や沿線住民との共存は図れないのか. JBPress
鉄道撮影. Wikipedia JP
